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Yesterday was a clean house day. Ostensibly it was so we can find Rebecca's glasses that Margo squirreled away somewhere. At this point I assume they will turn up when we pony up the money to buy a replacement pair.The bright side to all this is the kids' rooms got a good cleaning.Isaac cleared his booshelves of books he decided he was too old for. Now that he is reading on his own, apparently picture books are for babies. Margo excitedly welcomed the new library in her room, but that meant we had to get rid of her board books....more

The kids asked me after my Princess Disney Half Marathon if I won. I love the possibilities of youth. After all it is a race, their mom is awesome, of course she won. There's that pesky truth we know as adults: Someone is always faster.
I try to explain to them the nuance of success. The woman who won the race holds the American record for the half marathon. Her record is 1 hour and 7 minutes. There's a lot I can do in an hour and seven minutes, but running 13.1 ain't one of 'em.
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I had a parenting failure this weekend; I almost didn't want to write about. But, my goal on this blog has always been to show the real side of parenting. The side of we don't see during pick up or drop off lines at school, during church, or out in the stores. Typically we consider our parenting failures as something we did, or didn't do. We berate ourselves for yelling, for not following through, or being distracted. We worry about the things, that can be turned around to show our kids grace and forgiveness for ourselves and other people.
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I don't want to be a side line parent. Always cheering for my kids in the crowd, instead of actively engaging with them.I want to follow my kids lead, instead of living vicariously through them. I want to celebrate their differences and appreciate the uniqueness of them....more

Sometimes it is easier to forget the hard stuff in life. It was bad enough the first time, right? My 20's and 30's have taught me not to forget the hard stuff. It is part of what makes me who I am, and always gives me a reminder of why I want to constantly improve my life. After all, if I only remember the good things, I may never want to change....more

I am not a Boston qualifier, nor will I ever be. I have accepted that fact in my life. However I believe there are 2 routes that will allow me to fulfill my dream of running this epic race: As a volunteer runner or when I am an octogenarian.But I am a runner and my heart was heavy when I heard the news from Boston yesterday afternoon. It was hard to see the destruction of someone's dream and it was hard to not be afraid of what this will do to racing in America....more

Have you ever wondered why some kids get every bug that comes down the pike at school and others grace through elementary without being afflicted. I should patent my parenting secret on how to keep your kids' immune systems rock solid with my foolproof method. Because my kids rarely get sick and it is probably not because of stellar genetics (I am the woman who managed to be diagnosed with hashimoto's thyroiditis, gestational diabetes, and cancer all within a 3 year period.)...more

I was at the library with Margo and we were leaving to pick up Isaac from school when I heard an admonition from the mom beside me to her obstinate 2-year-old, "I am going to leave you in the car if you don't get out now." Really, mom? You're just gonna leave your 2-year-old in there, cops be damned? I get it, I have been there. I have been so frustrated that I come up with the absolute worst consequence ever. Not for my child, but for me. One I can't possibly uphold, and my kids know it, just like this kid....more